Recurring Scam Is Back In Douglas County - JUST HANG UP
-05/31/25
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is once again warning residents about a common scam that has resurfaced in our community. Individuals are receiving fraudulent calls claiming there is some type of law enforcement matter that needs attention. The caller, often using the names of actual staff members, pressures victims to pay the fine through gift cards or cash apps. The caller employs tactics intended to create a sense of necessary immediate action.
This is the same scam the Sheriff's Office has warned about several times over the past several years. Scammers continue to exploit fear and urgency by using the names of real officials to create a sense of legitimacy. However, it’s important to remember that legitimate law enforcement will never demand payment for fines via cash apps, gift cards, or any other unconventional methods. Nor will law enforcement call residents advising them a warrant has been issued for their arrest.
"This is not the first time we've seen this scam, and unfortunately, it continues to target members of our community," said Undersheriff Brad O’Dell. "We want to remind residents that this tactic is fraudulent and ask that they share this warning with elderly friends and family members.”
O'Dell emphasized the role that retailers, and cashiers can play in preventing these scams. "Retailers and their staff can help protect the public from scams like this," said O'Dell. "Posting signs at checkout stands and educating cashiers to recognize warning signs can be incredibly helpful.”
Residents are strongly encouraged to be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls demanding immediate payment for any alleged fines, especially those related to jury duty. If you receive such a call, do not engage with the caller. Simply hang up and report the incident to law enforcement.
For further information or to report a scam attempt, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at (541) 440-4471.
Drain Couple Dies In Tyee Crash, Teams Work To Recover Bodies (Photo)
-05/29/25
TYEE, Ore. – A Drain couple perished in a rollover motor vehicle accident on Weyerhaeuser timber company property west of Tyee sometime in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 24, 2025. Douglas County Search and Rescue volunteers assisted in recovering the remains from the hillside Sunday morning.
Douglas County 9-1-1 was alerted to the accident at about 5 pm Saturday via satellite assisted Text-to-911. The texter, who had been scouting prior to bear hunting season, said two people had been spotted from a distance on a very steep embankment in the Brush Creek area and they both appeared deceased.
Deputies from Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and located marks in the roadway consistent with a westbound vehicle leaving BLM road 24-8-35 1 and rolling down the hill.
Using ropes, deputies traversed the embankment and located the bodies of Anthony W. Forbes, 55, and Mandi S. Forbes, 50 about 215 feet down from the roadway. Records indicate the Forbes’ were married and both lived in Drain.
Their vehicle, a 1986 Suzuki Samuri, continued to roll past where the Forbes’ had been ejected. It eventually came to rest, heavily damaged, about 500 feet from the roadway in a small ravine.
Search and Rescue volunteers and members of Central Douglas Fire and Rescue’s Steep Angle Rescue Team were assembled Saturday but determined it was unsafe to recover the bodies until daylight. Several personnel remained in the area overnight and teams regrouped Sunday morning.
According to responders, the slope angle in this area was between 27 and 50 degrees. This was previously clearcut area, had low vegetation growth and very thick brush. Nearly 15 responders worked together to complete the strenuous recovery.
Evidence on scene showed the Forbes’ had a permit to be on Weyerhaeuser property and that alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Seatbelts were not used. Deputies believe the crash occurred several hours before the bodies were discovered.
Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony To Be Held (Photo)
-05/08/25
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating every May 15th as Peace Officer Memorial Day and the week in which it falls, National Police Week.
Across the United States, ceremonies are held to remember those serving in law enforcement who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office will host a local Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony on the front lawn of the Courthouse to pay tribute to the six Douglas County law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty:
• Officer Donald DeSues - Roseburg Police Department - EOW August 7, 1959
• Special Deputy Ronald H. Terwilliger - Douglas County Sheriff's Office - EOW July 23, 1985
• Corporal Virgle D. Knight Jr. - Douglas County Sheriff's Office - EOW July 23, 1985
• Sergeant Gerald G. Chirrick - Douglas County Sheriff's Office - EOW July 23, 1985
• Deputy Morris L. Taylor - Douglas County Sheriff's Office - EOW September 14, 2002
• Deputy S. Allen Burdic - Douglas County Sheriff's Office - EOW March 11, 2021
The ceremony, which will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 9:00 am, is open to members of the community who wish to pay remembrance to the fallen and their families. The tribute will include a proclamation reading by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, a police honor guard, wreath laying ceremony, bagpipes, a 21-gun salute and a county-wide radio broadcast.
Herb Parish Located By Search And Rescue Safe And Uninjured (Photo)
-05/06/25
UPDATE 05/06/2025 9:00 PM
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - Herb Parish has been safely located by searchers at the end of Nonpareil Road, approximately 10 miles from the end of the pavement, and is no longer considered missing. He is currently in the care of Search and Rescue volunteers and is reported to be uninjured and in stable condition. He will be evaluated by EMS personnel before being re-united with his family. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the community for their assistance in this investigation. No further updates are expected.
The Sheriff's Office was assisted by Douglas County Search and Rescue, Sutherlin Police Department and Fair Oaks Fire Department.
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ORIGINAL POST 05/06/2025 4:45 PM
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is currently searching for Herb Eugene Parish, an 86-year-old man from Lookingglass who is considered a missing and endangered person.
On May 6, 2025, just before 1:00 p.m., deputies received a report that Parish was missing from his home in the Lookingglass area. Parish, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and is not supposed to be driving, was last seen at his residence around 10:15 a.m. Prior to being reported missing, Parish was pulled over in a traffic stop at 11:45 a.m. Deputies, along with the Sutherlin Police Department and Douglas County Search & Rescue, are actively searching for any signs of him.
Parish is described as 5'10" tall, weighing approximately 240 lbs, with grey hair and brown eyes. He was last known to be driving a gray 2018 Toyota Tacoma with Oregon license plate 888 PHJ.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts or who has seen the vehicle is urged to contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at (541) 440-4464, referencing case #25-1571.
